Two Years Among New Guinea Cannibals A Naturalist's Sojourn Among the Aborigines of Unexplored New Guinea by A. E. (Antwerp Edgar) Pratt — Summary & Review

Two Years Among New Guinea Cannibals recounts Antwerp Edgar Pratt's extensive fieldwork and exploration in the largely unexplored interior of Papua (then called New Guinea) during the early 1900s. The narrative follows Pratt and his sixteen-year-old son Harry as they establish camps at various altitudes—Dinawa at 3600 feet and Ekeikei at 1500 feet—and undertake numerous expeditions into difficult terrains including swamps, forests, razor-like ridges, and river valleys. The journey is marked by a series of challenges: hostile tribes such as the fierce Tugeri in Dutch New Guinea force the abandonment of initial plans; outbreaks of mysterious diseases like beri-beri among Javanese convicts at Merauke add to the dangers; and the unpredictable natural environment brings droughts, forest fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, and swarms of stinging wasps.

Throughout the expedition, Pratt offers detailed ethnographic observations of native peoples—their customs, social structures, languages, and material culture. He describes powerful local chiefs like Mavai, an autocratic leader reputed for sorcery and strict discipline, and Ow-bow, a trusted native assistant whose wife influences camp relations. The natives display a complex mix of hospitality, suspicion, greed, and occasional hostility, including threats of cannibalism and acts of theft or violence. The author carefully negotiates these tensions, balancing respect and pragmatism.

Scientific collecting is a major focus, with rich descriptions of butterflies, moths, birds (notably the spectacular birds of paradise), reptiles, and fish. The discovery of new species, including a new orchid and several Lepidoptera, underscores the expedition’s contribution to natural history. The narrative also highlights native craftsmanship, such as pottery-making and the construction of lakatoi sailing rafts used in traditional trade expeditions.

Pratt documents native beliefs and superstitions, including a childish magic cult called Fi-fi involving a female medium, the invisible Wada spirit, and the use of sorcery by chiefs. Social customs such as marriage negotiations, mourning rituals, and the special status of dogs are recorded with ethnographic detail. The author contrasts the simplicity and conservatism of tribal governance with the impact of colonial and missionary presence, noting both cooperation and conflict.

The journey is punctuated by episodes of hardship and human drama: starvation during drought, the death of native companions, internal disputes among natives, and the tragic loss of Sam’s children. The narrative also captures moments of humor, such as a native boy besieged by a wild pig or the natives’ initial fear of photography.

Toward the end, Pratt reflects on the economic potential of Papua’s natural resources—sandalwood, sea-slugs, copra, coffee, rubber, gold—and the contrasting colonial efforts by the British and Germans. The book closes with the author’s return voyage, marked by physical exhaustion and personal loss, but enriched by a profound engagement with a land and peoples little known to the outside world.